Boris Johnson Calls Emergency Cobra Meeting Over Floods After Jeremy Corbyn Warns Of ‘Devastating’ Impact

A Government spokesman said on Monday night: “The prime minister will chair an emergency COBR (Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms) meeting tomorrow to discuss the response to recent flooding.”

In his letter to Johnson, Corbyn wrote: “With heavy rain expected in parts of Yorkshire and the Midlands, in areas that are already suffering from flooding, hundreds of further flood warnings are in place.

“Rightly there will be hundreds of thousands of people across these regions who remain concerned about their families and livelihoods.

“With this in mind, I am writing to urge you to hold a Cobra meeting and take personal charge of the government’s response to the devastating flooding we have seen over the past few days.

“In addition, we need full assurance from the government that every resource is being utilised to aid those that need it and protect against future potential floods.

“With dozens of flood warnings still in place, I have to disagree with your assessment from the weekend that this is not a national emergency.

“If this had happened in Surrey, not Yorkshire or the East Midlands, it seems far more likely that a national emergency would have been declared.

“Every year we don’t act means higher flood waters, more homes ruined and more lives at risk due to climate change.”